- Optera uses photoluminescence instead of lasers for long-term optical storage solutions
- Spectral hole etching encodes data by manipulating phosphor lattice imperfections at the nanoscale
- Multi-bit encoding allows multiple bits to be stored per physical location on the medium
Dr Nicolas Riesen from the University of South Australia is leading the development of an optical storage archive that records data using photoluminescence instead of physical laser etching.
The technology operates at room temperature and uses relatively inexpensive lasers instead of the femtosecond systems used in some competing glass archives.
The initial implementation of this archive is a 500 GB proof-of-concept media planned for 2026 and represents the first step toward higher capacity glass storage.
From discs to glass tablets
Previous related technology developed by Dr. Nicolas Riesen explored optical storage based on spectral holes using different nanoparticle materials.
This work forms the basis of the current 500 GB glass tablet proof of concept, showing a progression from disk-focused experiments to larger capacity archive formats.
Optera’s goal is to ensure long-term data retention with lower energy requirements, although the project remains experimental.
The recording media used by Optera is based on a mixed halide of fluorine bromide or fluorochloride phosphorus doped with divalent samarium ions.
This material, known as Ba₀.₅Sr₀.₅FX:Sm²⁺, has a long history in imaging plates for computed radiography, where photostimulated luminescence is well understood.
In Optera’s system, nanoscale imperfections in the crystal lattice are deliberately controlled to change the way the material emits light after exposure to specific laser wavelengths.
Data writing relies on spectral hole burning, where narrow wavelength bands are selectively modified in the phosphor.
When a laser scans these regions during reading, the material emits photoluminescence or suppresses it.
The detected light signal, or its absence, represents stored digital information.
This method avoids physically reshaping the media, but it introduces sensitivity to optical stability and reading accuracy that independent testing has not yet confirmed.
Optera suggests it can increase storage density by encoding information via variations in light intensity instead of relying solely on binary on or off states.
The project describes this approach as providing multibit capability similar to that of NAND, with SLC, MLC and TLC style bit levels represented by different signal strengths.
Moving this concept from laboratory measurements to large-scale, repeatable, error-tolerant readings remains an unsolved technical challenge.
According to project documentation written by optics researcher Dr. Nicolas Riesen, proof-of-concept media is expected to reach 1 TB in 2027 and several terabytes by around 2030.
These goals serve as research steps, with commercialization dependent on manufacturing partners and cost feasibility.
Although the technology appears promising, several uncertainties remain.
Practical read and write speeds, long-term durability under repeated access, and actual production costs are still unknown, leaving its viability beyond experimental research unresolved.
Via Blocks and files
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